Apparatus for controlling railway switches



. Patented Mar. 24, 19 31 DELBERT F- coiao umv or roRtrs oUrH,oniogassicnoa'ro- 'IVHVEY. uivroivfswrrona SIGNAL-"COMPANY, or" swrssvarn, PENNSYLVANIA, a 'coeroaerronor PENN,-

' sYLvANIA APPARATUS Fort CONTROLLING BAILWAY .SWI TcQH s" Applicatioi ufil ed Jun-e14, i930 seria iilvo, 459,142lf invention relates to apparatus. for controlling railway switches, and particularly to apparatus of the type involving a manual lever located at a distant point for the con} ,sion, in combinationwithapparatus ofthis trol of a switch.

One object of myinvention the pmw.

] type, ofauxiliarymanually operable means i Y matic view showing one embodying my invention. c

. Referring to the drawing, the reference; characters land 1 designatethe track rails its normal posit on, controller "S is; m normal of a stretch of railway track which is pro-- videdv with a switch 3. Switch 3 is operated located adjacent the switchfor removing the "switch from'control by the distant lever and holding the switch in the was lastmoved. v v i t I will describe one form ofapparatusembodylng my. invention, and

.out the novelfeaturesthereof in claims.- 1

The accompanying drawing is a.diagram form of'apparatus by a motor M, which as here shown comprises a cylinderS, containing a reciprocable piston 9. operatively connected with switch 3. Fluid under pressure, usually compressed air, isat times supplied to one end ,orthe other end of cylinder 8 from a suitable source, not shown l in the drawing, and the supply of-such fluid is controlled by a switch valve'designated, in general, by the reference'character K.. This valve comprlses a normal magnet N and a reverse magnet R.

As shown in the drawing, the switch occupies its normal I position. If, now, reverse magnet R is energized, fluid pressure will be supplied to motor M to operate switch 3 to its reverse position. If, when the switch occupies its reverse position, magnet N is en ergized, valve K will supply fluidpressure .j;

normal posit on, that one ormo're cars are position, and a second fixed contact member ll 'when the switch occupies its reverse position,

' Switch valve K is controlled in part bye manually operable lever D which may be position to which it will then point t .When this switch is thrown to its'reve'rsefpowill be broken.

joneo' f a number ofj such levers located in a.

"control cabin at a' point remote fromswitch 3. .LeverD operates a normal contact '16 i which is closedwhile lever D is" in its normal bers 4' and 5. jWhen the' switchfSis in its normal positionrwherein it isshown in solid l1nes','member e connects wires 19 and; 19

anda'member 5 connects. WlIQSJQQ? and 29F;

SitiOn, wherein it isilln'stiated in AS shownin-the drawing, lever D occupies v V V dtll llIlGS, v member 4 will connect wires filand fi-l but the circuits through wires 19, 19?, and .29

position, and switch'3 occupies itsinormal position. the operator in:chargeof lever D 'wishes tofreverse the switch, he will reverse lever D. 'The': closing o f'contact 15erlever will'then be actuatedto moveswitch to its reverse position. I a

If the operator, wishes to; restore switch 3 to its normal position, he will return lever will flow from battery 62, through comer,

16 of leverD, wire 29, contact5, wire2'9 nor- '22 back'to battery 62. 'MotorM will then reifi ows from battery 62,- through contact. 15, t

"R, and wire22 back to battery 62. Moto'r MY D toit'sfnormal positiom whereu pon current '7 located on theside track 6', and thatthes'e cars i are under oin re airs so thatfit wouldbe dangerous to allow switch'3 tobe reversed r thereby allowing other cars to enter the side auxiliary j circuit 1 controller S, thereby opening'the circuits hereinbefore traced for the normal and reverse magnetsN and B, so that I the switch 3 is removed from control by the manual lever D and cannot be reversed by the reversal of this lever- Furthermore, an auxiliary circuit for the normal magnet N will then be closed, which circuit is from battery 62, through wirefil, contact 4 of circuit controller S, wire 61, switch operated contact '1111* and magnet N to battery 62.

s This circuit will keep magnet N energized,

and will therefore-hold theswitch 3 in its" normal position. 7

Similarly, ifswitch 3 is in the reverse position, and there is a car undergoing repairs on the main track 7 beyond the switch, the person in charge of such repairs will reverse the circuit controller asbefor thereby opening themain circuits "for magnets N and R and closing the auxiliary circuit for mag!- net B. This circuit is from battery 62 through wire 61, contact switch circuit controller contact l1-1l reverse ma tit, and wire 22 to battery 62. This circuit will keep magnet R energized and will thereby hold the switch 3 in its reverseposition so as to prevent additionalcars from entering the por tion of track containing the car under replemented by apparatus which positively prevents a switch from being moved to allow said switch and normally ineffective to control said motor, and auxiliary manually operablemeans located adjacent said switch for removing the motorrfrom control by said lever and placing it under control of said circuit controller. I

I 2. In combination, a switch mechanism comprising a normal and a reverse magnet, a railway switchoperable to normal or reverse position according as said normal or reverse magnet is energized, a normalswitc'h contactclosed when said switch is in said normal position, a reverse switch-contact closed when said switch is in reverse position, a manual lever for the control oi said switch compr1singa normal and a-reverse contact, a main circuit -ror said normal magnetincluding said normal lever contact, an auxiliary circuit for said normal magnet including said normal switch contact, a main circuit for said re verse magnet including said reverse lever con 3 tact, an auxiliary circuit for said reverse magnet including saidreverse switch contact, and manually operable means for opening said maincircuits and closing said auxiliary cir-.

cuits to prevent control of the switch by said lever and to hold the switch in the position to which it was last moved.

. In testimony whereof I aliix my signature. r V DELBERT F. COBOURN.

other cars to collide with the car under repairs, and, consequently, the safety or" the men, conducting such repairs, greatly enhanced.

In actual practice, the circuit controller S will usually be enclosed in a lo ckedbox,-the key of which will be in the hands of the person in charge of thecar repairs, so that k this circuit controller cannot be operated unauthorized persons. V I

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of apparatus embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. I V

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

' 1. In combination, a railway switch, a

motor for-moving said switch to normal and reverse positions, a manuallyoperable lever located at a remote point for the control of said motor, a circuit controller operated by 

